1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a capillary device for watering a potted plant, and more particularly to a ceramic disc and wick adapted to be used with a plastic or impervious flower pot to improve the transfer of water from a tray or decorative holding pot into the growing medium of the flower pot by means of capillary action.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of various types of wicking devices and capillary action in order to draw liquid into the soil within a potted plant is well known. Typical examples of such wicks are shown by Sorenson, "Plant Growing and Display Assembly," U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,353 (1980); Magid, "Flower Pot and Jacket For Same," U.S. Pat. No. 2,810,235 (1957); Schein, "Flowerpot Watering System", U.S. Pat. No. 2,072,185 (1937); Centafanti, "Self-Watering Flower Pot," U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,709 (1989); Patterson et al, "Osmotic Fiber Systems," U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,343 (1989); and Barstow, "Vase Adapter for Flowerpots," U.S. Pat. No. 2,695,474 (1954). Each of these prior art systems involves some type of a cord, rope or wicking material having one end disposed in a water reservoir and the other end disposed through drain holes provided in the bottom of the flower pot, which is held or contained in some fashion in relationship to the reservoir.
The use of ceramics as wicking material to draw from a reservoir into the bottom of a pot is shown in several embodiments by Richards, "Auto Irrigation System," U.S. Pat. No. 2,084,005 (1937). However, in Richards the ceramic or porous clay material through which the water is drawn by capillary action into the soil surrounding the roots of the plant require an intimate and direct contact between the ceramic material and the soil. Therefore, a portion of the pot containing the soil must be made from the porous ceramic material or contiguous with some type of porous ceramic element that fits into the flower pot and extends therefrom into a reservoir.
The use of a wicking pad underlying the flower pot, but not extending physically into the flower pot is shown by Holtkamp, "Capillary Disc and Support Therefor," U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,109 (1982). However, Holtkamp requires a portion of the felt pad to be cut and extended downwardly into a reservoir in order to provide a capillary or wicking action into the pad. The pad itself rests upon a plastic stand supported above the water tray reservoir. The plastic support in turn is supported by a tripod of three thin plastic legs which can easily be broken off in handling and which do not contribute to the capillary watering.
What is needed is a rugged, inexpensive and simple watering system which can be used inside a decorative flower pot for self-watering a standard commercial flower pot having drain holes defined in the bottom, but without the requirement of having wicking material extending through the drain holes into the standard flower pot. A self-watering system is needed wherein the plant may be self-watered without the need for transplanting it into a specially designed container. The self-watering system should also be adaptable to easy decorative changes so that the display of the potted plant can be changed according to changing interior design needs.